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STV announces major investment in new creative industries bursary programme for Scotland

Tagged in: Press Releases STV is making a significant multi-year investment in the future skills base of the creative industries in Scotland through an ambitious bursary scheme, delivered in partnership with the Royal Television Society (RTS) and launched today, Friday 8th March.

The aim of the programme is to help drive Scotland’s future creative economy by offering a range of opportunities for talented students from diverse and lower income backgrounds who are embarking on Journalism, Television Production and Technology-based degree courses at Scottish universities.

In partnership with the RTS’s prestigious and highly successful bursary award scheme, each year a further 10 students from Scottish universities will join the programme with the ambition that in five years’ time, 50 students will be beneficiaries of the STV investment.

Each successful student will receive annual bursary funding of £1,000 for the duration of their degree, along with a comprehensive programme of work placements and mentoring opportunities at STV.

As part of the scheme, STV will also work with RTS Scotland to offer a wider programme of activities for students, including networking opportunities and industry insight sessions. The support will help participants establish a network of industry contacts and gain a fuller insight into the range of career opportunities available within the creative industries.

The bursary scheme was launched by RTS and STV today, Friday 8th March, with applications accepted until 30th June 2019. The scheme is open to students starting their course in 2019, as well as those who began their degree in 2018. For more details, go to https://rts.org.uk/education-training/rts-bursaries.

Simon Pitts, CEO of STV, said: “It’s a hugely exciting time for Scotland’s creative industries and this new investment from STV will see students from right across Scotland become part of a unique network of emerging creative talent.

“With the fantastic support of the Royal Television Society the aim of the new STV bursary programme is to develop an even stronger and more diverse pool of creative talent in Scotland, make it easier for people to launch careers in television whatever their backgrounds, and help drive Scotland’s future creative economy.”

Theresa Wise, Royal Television Society CEO, said: “RTS Futures and our bursary schemes are extremely important to us as we strive to encourage and guide new talent from low income and diverse backgrounds into the industry.

“We are delighted that STV has agreed to fund 10 additional bursaries, helping us expand our opportunities and grow our community of students and graduates supported by the Royal Television Society.”